Personal Biography

Dr. Jones completed his doctorate in sociology in July of 2006 at the University of
Oregon (Dissertation title: “How the Media Frame Global Warming: A Harbinger of Human
Extinction or Endless Summer Fun?”) and joined the faculty at Fresno State in the
fall of 2007. He attained an M.S. in sociology from the University of Oregon in 2003,
an M.S. in social science from Pittsburg State University in 1998, and a B.A. in philosophy
from the University of Kansas in 1994. In addition to his academic development, Dr.
Jones has worked as a newspaper editor and as a branch manager for a multi-national
corporation.

Areas of Specialty

His teaching and research interests include social theory, cultural sociology, mass
media, environmental sociology, political economy, and political sociology. Substantively,
he specializes in media framing of environmental issues and their impact on social
perceptions. Prior to joining Fresno State, Dr. Jones taught courses at the University
of Oregon and Pittsburg State University in sociology of mass media, Marxist social
theory, crime & deviance, introductory sociology, American government, and introduction
to philosophy.

Dr. Jones is currently working on multi-disciplinary research through a grant from
the National Science Foundation, examining human water use behaviors and their impacts
on biodiversity in an urban environment. The Urban Long Term Research Area - Fresno
And Clovis Ecosocial Study (ULTRA-FACES) team has collected bird, tree, and social
data for the Fresno and Clovis Metropolitan Area and is examining the interactions
between water policy, residential water use, and urban biodiversity. His recent publications
include: